


As long as we are...

by rareheartzz



Category: Shingeki no Kyojin | Attack on Titan
Genre: Fix It Fic, Fix-It, Manga, Manga Spoilers, NB Hange, Spoilers, aot - Freeform, attack on titan - Freeform, chapter 132 rewrite, enby hange, im sorry i had to yams did me so wrong, isyama, shingeki no kyojin - Freeform, snk, they/them hange
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-09-15
Updated: 2020-09-15
Packaged: 2021-03-07 00:55:37
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 3,875
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/26458300
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/rareheartzz/pseuds/rareheartzz
Summary: Some things just weren’t meant to be, Hange realized that. They hoped that one day they would be allowed to live a fulfilling life, one where they wouldn’t have to worry anymore. It was obvious now that they were not destined for such luxuries, they never were. From the moment Hange was born fear was forced upon them, pain crept into every aspect of their life. After years of watching friends die in the most horrific ways, years of torture, it was all about to amount to be nothing. They should have known, but here they were still holding onto one last ounce of hope. Fate had decided otherwise for the commander, like always, fate had decided to corrupt what plans for the future they had left.
Relationships: Levi & Hange Zoë, Levi x Hange - Relationship, Levi/Hange Zoë, LeviHan
Comments: 6
Kudos: 59





	As long as we are...

**Author's Note:**

> Hey guys!! I'm gonna start this by saying MANGA SPOILERS. While this is a fix it fic, meaning I don't explicitly say what happened in the manga it is obvious what I am referring to. If you do not want to be spoiled please do not read, just save it for later *wink wink*!!  
> I hope you guys enjoy this! Chapter 132 really hurt me, so I just knew I had to rewrite it!

Some things just weren’t meant to be, Hange realized that. Dreams of a fulfilling and worry-free life were just that, dreams. It was obvious that they were not destined for such luxuries, they never were. Fate had decided otherwise for the commander, like always, fate had decided to corrupt what small hopes they had left. From the moment Hange was born fear and pain were forced upon them, every aspect of peace was stripped away at birth. Years of watching friends die forced them to acknowledge the undeniable truth, life truly was a careless mistress. The commander should have known, but the stubborn optimist was still holding onto one last ounce of hope. That hope was curiously flourishing amidst the end of the world, sprouting new legs as they inched closer to stopping Eren and the rumbling. For such a dire situation Hange was full of hope, with a clear image of what their future could look like. A future that was calm, where they got to escape this treacherous world with the person they cared about most, with...

Shots rang out, instantly pulling Hange from their daydream. Screams filled the air as bullets hurled inside the hangar. Before Hange realized what happened, a soldier cloaked in black and drenched in water was sent flying back. They snapped around to see Mikasa gritting her teeth and releasing the hook she had shot directly into the shooter’s neck. Jean sprinted across the hangar to the responsible party, and Hange soon caught up with him. They arrived to find a familiar face, blood spewing from their wound and the gun still gripped tightly in their hand.

“F-Floch?” Jean stuttered, disbelief in his voice as he stared at the gaping wound. 

Hange’s eyes went wide with shock and their mouth fell open, “To think he latched onto the ship-” 

Onyonkopon interrupted, his voice shrill, scared, “Hange!” He yelled across the hangar, ”There are holes in the fuel tank!” 

Hange looked back to see three small cavities in the fuel tank, bullet holes. Every face inside the hangar shifted, expressions turned to horror as the realization kicked in. Had their last chance to save the world had been thwarted by three measly pieces of metal? Could it all be thrown away that quickly? 

However, without missing a beat the hangar launched into chaos, everyone frantically preparing to seal the holes. If they could keep it together and patch up the damage they could take off. They could stop Eren. 

Hange rushed to the ship, the holes weren’t large but they were enough to keep the ship incapacitated. Without patching them up the tank would leak whatever fuel was put in, meaning the airship wouldn’t be able to lift off. 

“How long?” Hange blurted out, watching everyone frantically work around them.

“If we seal it with steel… We can do it in one hour!” The words did nothing to relieve the anxiety building inside Hange, they still had a monumental task ahead of them. 

If only it were that simple.

Suddenly, the uproar in the hangar lulled and the atmosphere shifted. Hange’s eyes grew wide, as tools began to shake on the small work table by the airship. Deafening was the only word that could describe the noise. It was all-encompassing, blasting through Hange’s ears, a low thunderous roar. The entire hangar shook, floors and ceiling rattling with the force of the reverberation. Hange didn’t have to think, they knew immediately what was happening. Fear setting in as doom approached, the rumbling had arrived. 

“P--Please…” Hange heard a faint voice say, they rushed back over to Floch where Jean was still knelt by his side. 

“Please don’t go, our island will be massacred. Our devil, our only hope…” The words spilled out as he finally succumbed to his injury. 

“It's as you say Flcoh, but we can’t give up,” Hange’s voice filled with determination, “If we fail today, we try again…”

“Hange, he’s gone…” Jean choked out, shaken up by the sight in front of him. While Floch had been fighting against the alliance, even killed respected soldiers and colleagues, he was a familiar face, one of the last few remaining from before the world changed. 

“There’s no time Jean, on your feet!” Hange forced out through gritted teeth and grabbed the young soldier by his arm, holding back their emotions. There was no time to wallow in guilt or pity, the apocalypse was closing in. The pair ran out the hangar doors only to be met with horror. Not only were there an incalculable amount of colossal titans before them, but they were closing in, quickly. 

Mikasa, Armin, Connie, and Reiner were already outside, eyes glued on the rows of titans before them. Hange’s gaze shifted from one titan to another repeatedly until it became overwhelming, they were never-ending. They started to blur, fade together, and Hange’s ears started to ring. Their lip began to quiver and their feet froze to the pier. Was this shock? Hange couldn’t tell, all they knew was that their heart was racing and-

Suddenly a select few words perforated the cloak of anxiety that formed around them, “I have to… buy time with-”

Hange snapped their head to look at the person the voice came from, Armin. His eyes were glazed over, but he spoke with meaning, intent. In no time at all, another voice was barking back, Reiner. It was too much, the two titan shifters making unsubstantiated claims to give themselves up for the cause. Hange could tell they weren’t thinking straight, how could they consider sacrificing themselves? Each man held the power of a titan, they were both instrumental in stopping Eren…

Stopping Eren. 

The realization hit them and Hange’s feet finally began to move, their vision cleared as they rushed towards what was left of the 104th,.

“Stop!” Hange ordered, the former cadets froze, eyes glued on the commander, “I will bear the burden-”

“Hange you can’t!” Armin stepped forward, arms outreached, pleading.

Connie interjected tears forming, “What do you mean, we can stop this together-”

“That’s enough, I am the commander, this is my decision!” 

Silence fell across the pier.

“Armin Arlert and Jean Kirstein, you two will lead the next survey corps,” they exchanged a glance, clearly confused, “You each have the strengths needed to pull off the job. Maybe even better than me, together you can do what Erwin and I couldn’t.”

“Hange, don’t be ridiculous w-we need you...” Armin choked out, fumbling on his words.

Jean rushed to Armin’s aid, “Yeah, there’s no point in giving up now! We haven’t even considered other options-” 

“I said that’s enough! Get back in the hangar now! We need all of you alive if we are going to stop Eren!”

Before Jean and Armin could argue anymore, Mikasa and Connie grabbed them and dragged them back to the hangar bay. The image was almost like two children throwing a tantrum, kicking feet, and screaming in protest as they were hauled away. Reiner followed close behind them, eyes low avoiding Hange’s gaze altogether. There wasn’t much time to waste, emotions aside, there was impending doom right around the corner.

“Oh, shorty is under your command now, so boss him around all you want,” Hange added, looking back only to be met with a stone-cold gaze.

“Damn four eyes…”

Hange froze, they had been so sure of themself until now, until they had to face Levi. His eyes were painful to look at, he hadn’t looked like this since…

“Levi I-”

“Shut up glasses, you are not sacrificing yourself in some shitty blaze of glory, not like...” The crippled soldier limped towards Hange, eyes sunken but filled with fury.

“You don’t understand I’m the only expendable person here. We need all of you to beat Eren, I can be replaced…”

Hange looked out to Levi, fear was painted across their face, there was no use hiding it now. 

“I said shut up!” Levi scolded as he grabbed the front of Hange’s shirt, “Stop talking like him, you are making it on that ship! I am not losing anyone else!”

“There’s no use in arguing Levi, this is our only option,” Hange said, pivoting away from him, “You shouldn’t even be out here you need to rest, and I’m running out of time.”

A light tug of Hange’s cloak caught their attention. They turned back, ready to shoot Levi down again only to be yanked forcefully forward. Harsh lips crashed into their own, knocking the air right out of their lungs. It was short, all but a few seconds before they parted, but Hange was left speechless. 

“You said we’d run away together, you better keep that promise,” Levi whispered, “Takedown as many titans as you can, but as soon as you see us take off aim your hook at the base of the plane.” Levi pulled back slightly to see Hange’s face in full.

“What are you talking about-”

“If we leave out one side of the landing gear you can latch onto it, we can pull you on board.”

“If I do that I could damage the wheels, you wouldn’t be able to land let alone take off again!” Hange’s voice was full of confusion.

“We can land this thing in the water if you fuck up the wheels, and besides we’re about to have bigger problems than flying that piece of shit.” 

“Levi it’s too risky…”

“Stop, there’s no time to argue anymore,” Levi said as he took a step back, and placed his hand over Hange’s heart, “Don’t die out there shit head, I’ll be waiting for you.”

It took a second before Hange came back to reality, “Don’t worry too much shorty, I’d never miss my chance to come back to you.”

Levi turned, his stride slow but sure as he headed back to the airship. Hange watched him until he disappeared inside the hangar, memorizing every detail in case it was the last time. Hange could faintly hear him barking orders about the adjusted plan, they would have to memorize his voice as well. After his voice became muffled by the ruckus inside, Hange turned around, the titans were close, they had to attack now. 

Feet planted firmly into the ground, Hange stood, ready for the task at hand. One step after another they began sprinting down the abandoned street, towards the titans. When a tall enough building came into view Hange pulled the trigger on their gear and locked onto the roof. A gust of wind swept through locks of mahogany hair as they approached what appeared to be an old church. With a clunk, they released the hook and were sent flying up above the titans. The sight before Hange was surreal as if it were a dream. They were above it all, soaring, a moment of calm before the storm. Hange’s eyes grew wide with awe and cheeks flushed red before muttering, “Ah, titans really are wonderful...” 

Before attacking Hange took a deep breath, they were going to survive, there was no alternative. Even with a solid plan in mind, there was a high chance of everything going wrong, but they had to make it out not just for themself but for him. The task at hand was easier said than done, the steam from one colossal titan alone could kill them, horrific memories of Moblit were a reminder. Hange had been lucky twice before, but there was no need to jinx it this time.

Finally, Hange locked onto their first target, hook impaled directly in the nape sending them forward at the perfect trajectory. Thunder spear in hand, they hurled towards the beast and released. There was no time to overthink, shoot as many as you can, and stay as high as possible, that was the only course of action if they didn’t want a blistering death. As soon as the thunder spear made contact they released the hook and attached to another titan, the explosion loud behind as they catapulted away. Hange felt the heat across their back as they shot the next thunder spear into their next target. Right now was the easy part, firing at a distance, but they were about to run out of artillery which meant having to take down titans the old fashioned way. 

Hange quickly glanced back to see the airship being rolled out of the hangar. If they took down one more titan they’d be able to make it onto the plane, they could make it. With a resolute smirk, Hange hooked onto one last titan. Luck close to running out they looked down to reload but were out of thunder spears. They knew this would happen but there was no other choice, they had to go in with swords. Even after attacking at a distance, Hange could feel the lick of flames at their back already, the wings of freedom ablaze. 

“I don’t have time for this!” Hange yelled before hastily ripping off the cloak. The fire began to spread across the infamous hunter green as it floated farther and farther away, eventually becoming engulfed in the heat radiating from the titans. Stripped of their rank, their affiliation, they were nothing more than a soldier fighting for the sake of humanity.

Blades drawn Hange took one last glance at the pier, the ship was meters away from lifting off. Forcing all their energy into their attack Hange gave a war cry, slicing as deep as they could into searing hot skin. As quickly as they could Hange released the hook and aimed it for the first standing building they saw. As they flew away, the fire crept up their legs and their arms, latching onto whatever fabric it could find. 

“Fuck, that’s hot!” Hange screeched as the oxygen in the air only fueled the flames spreading across their clothes.

They slammed, body first, onto a roof, rolling until they hit some sort of railing. Luckily the spiral of Hanges’s landing helped tame the residual fire, however, it didn’t alleviate the blistering pain. 

As Hange stumbled to their feet they saw it, a glint in the distance. Their squad had done it, the airship was just meters off the ground, and Hange didn’t wanna miss their ticket out. They didn’t hesitate, tired feet pushed back into the metal roof before launching forward. If they got this wrong the entire mission was off, and they would be to blame. The thought was all too prevalent as they heard the scraping of metal. As Hange closed in they could see it, the hook had wrapped around the landing gear without damaging the hull of the ship. It seemed impossible, they were in utter disbelief, every aspect of the plan worked. The burns sending shockwaves of pain through Hange’s body meant nothing, they had survived. Their face lit up as the small hatch door on the airship opened, a strong arm took hold of them.

“I’ve got you,” Hange looked up to see Reiner’s hand clasped around their bicep, “Quickly, it’s not safe to keep this hatch open much longer, we’re about to pick up speed!” He screamed over the roar of the wind.

Hange followed suit by making quick work of the tanged hook. It was wrapped around one of the wheels, neither in particularly good shape, but it was better than bringing down the whole airship. Reiner pulled them on board and slammed the hatch behind him. Hange’s weak body was flung inside, colliding with another as they were tossed. 

“Now staying alive wasn’t so hard was it, Commander?” someone asked, arms outstretched to help Hange up.

“Don’t get coy with me Jean,” Hange chuckled as they took his hand.

They stood up and were met with the faces of everyone on board, they were all smiling, but one, in particular, stood out. Behind everyone was Levi, lips curved up as he staggered forward. When he approached Hange he stopped to examine them, silver eyes taking in the tattered uniform. Before anything else his hands reached out and unclasped Hange’s gear, broken metal hitting the floor with a thud. Quickly his hands began to investigate their injuries. Levi’s calloused fingers pushed up their shirt sleeves and traced burns and bruises, winces telling tales loud enough for him to understand. His hands retreated, taking note of Hange’s groans, and waited in the awkward space between them.

“Thank you,” Levi muttered softly into Hange’s chest as he wrapped his arms around them, “Thank you for coming back to me.”

Frail arms pulled him closer, tightening around his small stature, “Who else am I supposed to run away with after this is all said and done?” Hange whispered into his ear, “Thank you for believing in me, I wouldn’t have made it if not for you.”

After a few seconds the pair released from their embrace, “You’re wrong,” Levi said as he looked up at the commander, “I wouldn’t have made it without you.” 

Hange’s expression bloomed into a soft grin, Levi was never one to be sentimental, but when he was it was a beautiful thing. The moment didn’t last long however as Hange felt their balance shift. Their eyes began to glaze over as they stood before the group of soldiers. It had been mere minutes since battling the titans, and their body was finally catching up. With a small yelp, Hange lost their footing, quickly stumbling to their knees. 

“Hange!” Connie yelled lunging forward, but Hange quickly raised their hand up.

“I’m fine, just a little weak from before,” Hange stated.

Mikasa’s usually calm voice filled with worry, “You’ve been badly burned, you need to get some rest.” 

“I-” Hange tried, but couldn’t get more than a word out before being cut off.

“Don’t fight them, this time they’re right,” Levi said as he knelt beside Hange, a small medical kit from the ship in hand. 

“Fine,” Hange said begrudgingly, “But, we are going to come up with a battle strategy first, then I’ll rest.”

“Alright Commander, what’s next?” Levi shifted tone, staring at the brunette.

“Right,” Hange looked away from Levi to the other soldiers on the ship, ” We need to come up with a plan. Mikasa and Armin, you two have the best bet at connecting with Eren, so we are going to need your expertise. I know it didn’t exactly work out last time, but we don’t have many options”

As Hange spoke the squad listened, all eyes focused on the heroic soldier. Dozens of ideas were tossed back and forth, but only one thing was certain, the task at hand was going to be harder than anything they’d done before.   
\-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

After a half-hour, it seemed like they were getting nowhere, discussions turned into arguments, and every passing second Hange grew paler. Armin took notice and spoke up, “Commander, you don’t really look too good…”

“I’m fine, I’m just a little light-headed,” Hange tried to explain, before Levi placed a gentle hand to their shoulder.

“You need to get bandaged up now or you won’t be able to fight later when we need you.” 

With a sigh they reluctantly gave in, he was right. In terms of pain, Hange was reaching a breaking point. The sweltering feeling across their back was only growing the longer it was left untreated. So, it was decided that for the time being, Hange was going to be treated for their burns while Jean and Armin carried out the rest of the meeting. 

The younger soldiers huddled over a map on one end of the plane, while Levi and Hange sat on the other. Every movement caused Hange to wince, the burns settling into their skin as time went on. Levi carefully undid Hange’s shirt, fingers sliding gracefully across each button as it passed through its slot in the fabric. Every inch of skin that came into view was scrutinized heavily, steel eyes searching for the smallest hint of a burn. As he unfastened the last button he opened the ratty shirt and brought his hands to Hange’s skin. Cold hands ran across their chest and stomach, finding minimal damage considering the circumstances. He removed what was left of the garment smoothly, and slid behind Hange. Levi’s gaze focused in on the bulk of the damage, Hange’s back. 

“Holy shit…” Levi muttered under his breath as he took in the array of burns. 

“That bad, huh?” Hange replied, knowing full well that it had to be a horrific sight. 

Levi reached into the medical kid and pulled out a small container of ointment. Its contents were thick and cold as he began to run it across Hange’s back.

Hange looked over their shoulder to the ravenette, “Promise me we’ll run away when this is over?”

“You know I don’t like to make promises,” Levi said before hesitating, “I’ll get us out of this if its the last thing I do.”

“That sounds more like you, not all that sentimental crap from earlier,” Hange chuckled.

“Do you want me to take it back because I will-”

Hange turned around abruptly, and grabbed Levi’s wrist, “Never…”

“Good, when we escape you can hear it as much as you want,” Levi said as he raised a hand to Hange’s cheek and leaned in repeating his words for before, “Thank you for coming back to me.”

He traced his thumb over Hange’s lips, outlining their subtle shape. Hange shuttered, the air growing thin between them before they closed the gap. Longer than before, but still brief, the soldiers savored the moment, not knowing if there were be another. Levi pulled away and placed a gentle kiss to their cheek, his breath lingering on Hange’s skin. He pressed one last kiss against their lips before returning to their wounds. The last of the cream was pressed softly into Hange’s skin, the motion sending jolts of agony through them. Hange sucked in air through gritted teeth as Levi wrapped thick white bandages around their torso, specks of white forming across their vision. Once again, Hange began to lose balance and fell backward. 

Levi caught them in his arms, eyes wide with concern, “Hange!” 

“Don’t worry,” Hange took, in short, quick breaths, “I’ll be fine, just need to take a break for now.”

“Just tell me when,” Levi said with the frail commander in his arms, their auburn eyes heavy below him. Hange’s face scrunched in pain, eyes squeezed shut and teeth grinding. 

”You’re gonna be okay,” A soft touch came to their forehead, fingers pushing back the strands of hair stuck with sweat. 

“As long as we’re together I know I will…” Hange muttered before losing consciousness, their body going limp into Levi’s arms.

Hange’s breathing was normal, other than the burns there were no massive injuries to be concerned with, so it seemed that their need for rest won out against their stubborn will. Levi chuckled lightly before laying the commander down and moving to sit by their side. He ran his fingers through their ratted hair and kept a close eye on the injured commander. He sighed, there was a long battle ahead, but for now, he had one thing to hold on to. 

“As long as we’re together…”

**Author's Note:**

> If you have any suggestions for future stories feel free to comment on here or on my other socials!  
> tumblr: @rareheartzz  
> twitter: @rareheartzz  
> tiktok: @rareheartzz


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